How can those who migrate from developing countries support development at home? Should they share their salaries, or even skills? Can migrants and migration help push forward progress on development goals? We want to know what you think about the role of diaspora communities in global development.

It is hard to ignore the scale and scope of migration in today's world. More than 200 million people live outside the country of their birth, and it would be difficult to find a country that has neither sent nor received migrants. We reported in November that migrants send home three times more money than countries receive in development aid.

Harriet Harman, the UK's shadow international development secretary, has taken issue with the Department for International Development's (DfID) decision to withdraw funding for the Diaspora Volunteering Programme. "This programme is particularly important because it offers the opportunity to directly engage diaspora communities in the implementation of development policy," she said recently. The DVP, run in partnership with VSO, was set up in 2008 and has placed nearly 600 volunteers across Africa and Asia.

This week, Harman told us: "We need more engagement of the diaspora in formulating the UK's international development policy. I very strongly support the Diaspora Volunteering Programme, which we set up when we were in government and which is run by VSO in partnership with the Diaspora Volunteering Alliance. I can only assume that the fact that the government is cutting its funding from next month is a mistake. Why a relatively small sum of money that not only makes a rich contribution, but also develops aid awareness in this country should be chopped against the background of an increasing budget I really can't understand."

Meanwhile, a report from the World Bank and the African Development Bank last month argues that African governments should do more to realise the economic benefits of migration. "With about 30 million Africans living outside their home countries, migration is a vital lifeline for the continent," the report says, adding that migrants' remittances have helped reduce poverty in Africa and have led to increased investments in health, education and housing.

In 2010, remittances to Africa reached nearly $40bn – the largest source of foreign capital after foreign direct investments – with land purchases, house building and business start-ups the most popular uses for remittances sent by the African diaspora.

But, according to Dilip Ratha, of the World Bank's Development Prospects Group: "The potential of migration for Africa remains largely untapped." The report highlights a number of innovations to help reduce the cost of sending money home and to encourage migrants to reinvest in their home countries.

What do you think? Can migration help drive development? Was DfID right to withdraw its funding for the Diaspora Volunteering Programme? What are your experiences of migration? Let us know if you have any other examples of policies or programmes that work with diaspora communities to achieve development goals.

The Labour party is currently reviewing its policies. Two key areas of focus for the international development team, says Harman, is examining how the party can better support and recognise the contribution the diaspora makes to development and supporting and encouraging remittances. What policies do you think would help?